Window washer&#39;s platform



Feb. 16, 1969 J, G, SALAS 2,925,139

WINDOW WASHER'S PLATFORM -Filed March 17, 1958 /NVENTOR JOSEPH G. SALAS/ff @u ATTORNEY United States Patent WINDOW WASHERS PLATFORM Joseph G.Salas, St. Louis, Mo.

Application March 17, 1958, Serial No. 721,889

' 1 claim. (cl. 18a-62) This invention relates to building cleaningmaintenance, and more particularly to a platform that is portable so asto be easily transported from place to place as needed, for removablemounting at the windows of a building `so as to afford the workman asafe and convenient support for washing the exteriors of windows ordoing other work requiring access to the outer surfaces of the buildingadjacent the windows.

The invention has among its general objects the provision of such aplatform that is relatively simple and sturdy in its construction, lowin cost, sufficiently lightweight to be easily portable by the averagemaintenance man, and which will be otherwise satisfactory and etlicientfor use wherever deemed applicable.

One object of my invention is to so construct such a platform that itmay be transported with collapsed parts that may be set up intooperative position at the point of installation of the platform, forinsertion through the window frame and withdrawal therefrom as needed.

Another object of the invention is to so construct such a device thatmay be placed supported on the window sill, and rigidly clamped thereatinto bearing against the vertical outer face of the sill and alsoagainst the inner faces of the upright sides of the window frame, thedevice clamped against the uprights at an elevation above the clampingengagement against the said outer face of the sill.

A further object of my invention is to so construct a device of the kinddescribed, with means that are vertically adjustable into bearingengagement with the top face of the sill at the outermost edge of thelatter, to thereby more securely lock the platform in operative positionand minimize any tendency for vertical pivotal movement of the deviceabout an axis at its innermost end.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a plurality ofindividual sections to form the floor of said platform, said oorsections being comparatively light in weight and removably interlockingwith the platform `against relative displacement.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown anddescribed will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which thisinvention appertains, and which will be more clearly evident from thedisclosures herein given.

To this end, my invention consists in the novel construction,arrangement and combination of parts herein set forth and the usesmentioned, all as will be more clearly pointed out in the claim hereuntoappended.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters represent like orcorresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through the device;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same, with parts of the liooringbroken away;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional detail taken substantially along the line3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing details of the .offset member andthe diagonal brace.

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Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein YI have illustrateda preferred embodiment of `my invention, there is shown a window framein dotted lines in Fig. l, having the usual laterally spaced-apartparallel vertical side elements 1 and a lowermost or sill element 2bridging thereacross, the top face 3 of the sill being provided with astep-down outer edge portion 4, the vertical exterior face of the sillbeing indicated generally at 5.

This window washers platform is intended to be removably insertedthrough said frame so as to project outwardly therefrom and upon whichthe washer operative may stand While exterorly of the room whileperforming work on the window exterior.

The device has a base or carrying member of a suitably sturdy material,such as of steel or the like, of a substantially rectangular outline,that includes a pair of spaced-apart parallel side beams 6 6 preferablyof angleiron cross-sectional shape having an upstanding or vertical legportion and a horizontal leg portion, 7 and 8 respectively, one legportion being at right angles to the cooperating leg portion. A pair ofspaced-apart beams 9 and 10 respectively, bridge across the inner andouter ends of said side beams to complete the rectangular outline of thebase member. i

The innermost end beam 9 is intended to project a slight distance intothe room through the window of which the platform is to be inserted,somewhat as indicated in Fig. l, and is provided with upwardly extendingarms 11-11 that have loops 12-12 at their upper ends, so that said loopsare thereby located at a predetermined distance above the sill-supportedend beam.

A telescopically longitudinally-extensible tubular member consisting ofa central pipe preferably made of upper and lower sections rigidlysecured together as a unit 13, as by the welding or the like, With bothends of said sections being open and unobstructed, and a pairof endsections 14--14 each slidably engageable with one of the central pipesections so as to adjustably vary the overall length of the tubularmember to accommodate different widths of window openings, is carried insaid loops.

While being transported, the end pipe sections are shifted together tohave a minimum overall length and to tit approximately within theconfines of the width of the base member, and when the device issupported on the sill of the window to be washed, and whereby the majorportion of the device projects outwardly through the window frame, theend pipe sections 14-14 are then extended in opposite directions tooverlap the vertical sides of the window frame, said end pipe sectionswill then bear against the inner faces 15-15 of said frame uprights,engaging the latter at an elevation that is an appreciable amount abovethe sill and limiting outward. movement of the device.

A cross-piece 16 bridges across said pair of spacedapart side beams andis movably adjustable lengthwise of the latter, said cross-piece havingend strips 17-17 carried rigidly thereby in slidable engagement with theunder face of the horizontal legs of the side beams, said cross-piecealsohaving lingers 18-18 at its ends `to slidably ride on the upperfaces of the horizontal legs of said side beams. Thus, the cross-piecehas portions straddling each of said horizontal leg portions of the sidebeams, to thereby limit vertical play between said beams andcross-piece.

A downwardly depending offset element 19 is rigidly carried by each endof the cross-piece to form a right angle with one of the end strips17-117, said offset elements being adapted to be adjustably clamped tobearingly engage the vertical exterior face 20 of the building, as seenin Fig. l. A strut or brace 21 may interconnect each element 17 to itsadjoining element 19 for rigidity.

One or more bolts, there being two shown in this instance at 22-22, havetheir innermost ends .rotatably journalled in said innermost end beamsto project rearwardly or outwardly, the other ends of said bolts beingthreadedly vengageable'with `said cross-piece for slidably adjusting thelatter :forwardly or rearwardly as required, and cranks `23 may be'carried at'the .journalled ends of said bolts for-rotatably .operatingthe latter.

Obviously, after the `platform has been set up through the Window frameand while resting on Vthe top ofthe sill and projecting outwardlythrough the window opening, and with Ythe tubular member bearing againstthe innermost faces of the `window rframe uprights, the crosspiece maybe drawn toward-the Vexterior upright "face vof l thesill by properlyrotating the bolts to `thereby clamp the platform tightly betweenthewndow frame andthe vertical outer face of the Vsll,'with the pointsof application of said clamping force being `at a higher point at saiduprights `than at the sill face.

In the constructionof buildings, the outermost `edge of the sill isnearly always lower than the inner edge thereof, mainlyfor drainage, andagain the vertical outer face of the sill is somewhat uneven, and forthese reasons, and also to `take into consideration the weight of thewasher on the platform, there may be a tendency for the platform to tiltabout its innermost end as an axis. To prevent such tilting I have addedan extra means that cooperates with said offsets 19-19 and which maybear downwardly against the top faces of the outer portion of the silladjacent the areas that are vclamped vby said oifsets, as indicated.

A slide 24 is mounted slidably adjustable on each of said off-sets, eachvslide having a horizontal 'for lower 'foot portion 25 `to Vseat on thetop face of the sill.

Suitable means are provided for locking each slide Vin verticallyadjusted position on the offset, as by providing a series of verticallyspaced-apart apertures 26 in the voifset and providing the slide withone yor more apertures 27 to register in sequence with the apertures 26.A pin- 28 maybe handily carried by a cord or chain 29, from each end ofthe cross-piece, for removable insertion through the registeredapertures `of the cooperating slides and offsets. Obviously, as theoff-sets and slides bear simultaneously against the top and the verticalexterior faces of the sill, stability is achieved to prevent tendencyfof the platform to pivotallyswing about a horizontal axis after theplatform has been clamped vinto its operative position.

A guard member may be mounted unitary with the base member, and madefoldable or collapsible into operative and Vinoperativepositions, saidguard including a U-shaped element having a pair of spaced-apart legs30-30 interconnected at their upper ends by a cross element 31, thelower ends of said legs being pivotally connected to the side beams at32 so that said U-shaped elernent may be swung downwardly or upwardlyabout its axis, as indicated more clearly in Fig. 1, vto thereby formVthe back rest portion of the guard.

A pair of side arms 331-33 have their rear ends pivotally connected tosaid cross element 31, the other ends of said pair of side arms beingpivotally connected to the 1vupper ends of'a pair of posts 34-34,whereby when said cross element is in elevated position as indicated infull lines in Fig. Land the posts upright, the arms 33-33 form siderails for the guard enclosure. The guard member may be collapsed to liealong the base member, somewhat as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1,so that the rear element, side arms and posts may be of an overalllength to be within the contines of the base member. In `order toremovably anchor the lower ends of the guard posts in operativeposition, sockets 35 may be carriedon the side beams and into which thefree ends of the posts may be removably inserted.

A floor to support the workman is intended to be detachably mounted onsaid base of the device, the same made preferably in several sections tobe more readily manageable during transportation from place to place,one of said floor sections 36 being of generally rectangular shape inplan view, so that its side edges may be supported on the horizontallegs of the pair of side beams while the outermost edge of saidoorsec'tion vmay be supported along the horizontal legs ofthe outermostof the Yend beams.

One or more additional floor sections 37 may -be arranged inwardlyadjacent said end section, and of substantially the same length as thelatter so as to be snugly supported on lthe horizontal leg portions ofthe pair of side beams.

I claim:

A window washers platform adapted to be removably inserted through awindow frame to rest on the sill thereof, comprising a substantiallyrectangular rigid frame includinga pair `of spaced-apart side beams anda pair of spaced-apart end beams, the innermost end beam being adaptedto be positioned adjacent the inside edge Yofthe sill so that the majorportion of the frame projects outwardly through the window frame;'spaced apart-ears, the said Years extending upwardly from saidinnermost vend beam; a tube carried by said ears; a member telescopinginto leach end of said tube for engaging the inner side of the windowframe above said sill; a cross-piece bridging the sides of ysaid frameintermediate the ends thereof, the said cross-piece being slidablymounted on the sides of said frame and carrying at each end thereofdownwardly projecting clamps adapted to engage the Youter side of saidsill; an elongated `rod screw-threaded at one end thereof and providedwith a crank handle at its other-end, the said rod being journalled in.the front rportion of said frame and screw-threadedlyfengagingsaidcross-piece for laterally adjusting the same; a slide mem berslidablyengaging each of said clampsjand adjustable thereon to engage ythe topoutermost side of said sill, land means for locking-each of Vsaidslidemembers nto lockingpositions.

References Cited in the tile 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

